The historical nucleus of São Pedro

The São Pedro parish is, after the Sé, one of the most significant and populated parishes of Funchal. It gained its importance in the 15^th century, when noble families started building their houses in this secluded area. One of the first to live here was Funchal’s first captain, João Gonçalves Zarco, who also built the chapels São Pedro and São Paulo and a small hospital, the first on the island, annexed to it. Later Funchal’s second captain, João Gonçalves da Câmara, built the beautiful property Quinta das Cruzes in this neighbourhood, where also the great Franciscan convents of São Francisco and Santa Clara and, later in the 17^th century, the Mercês convent of the same Order were erected.